UAE: Radio usage highest during long commutes

Nielsen , a global information, data, and measurement company, recently revealed statistics showing 93 percent of residents above the age of 10 listening to nine hours of radio in a week . the study further revealed that most of the UAE’s radio consumption happens during commutes to and from work – which averages at 96 minutes throughout the country.

The highest usage of radio was found to be between 7am and 9am, 2pm and 4pm and 6pm and 8pm during weekdays, with consumption dropping by 50 percent on weekends. However usage of radio was found to be high even at night, with 27 percent of radio consumption occurring between 8pm and midnight. Also , radio usage at homes was found to increase from 8pm onwards.

Sarah Messer, Nielsen’s media director for Middle East, North Africa and Pakistan, says, “Not surprisingly, long drive times in the country has been identified as the foremost driver of the medium’s growth as listening to the radio while on the move tops the list of places radio is consumed. Specialized content like real-time traffic updates has made radio even more attractive to people who commute daily to work and back.”